2004 Client Testimonials

Client Reviews and Testimonials

2004

Our author’s submission service assists writers of poems, short stories, essays, and book manuscripts in getting their work published. We work very hard to promote our clients’ work. Letters from clients follow below. (Originals with signatures available upon request.)

I’m very happy with Writer’s Relief. With their help, I had one essay accepted for publication this last fall. As I write, another publication is seriously considering another essay of mine. This is particularly impressive given that I only began working with Writer’s Relief seven months ago. I have personally recommended that several friends consider using Writer’s Relief to further their writing careers, and I am pleased that a friend recommended them to me.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Dickson

December 31, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

I work about 50 hours a week, have two children in many after-school activities, and a household to keep in some kind of order . . . I just couldn’t find the time to send my work out for consideration. So I turned to Writer’s Relief and in less than two years, I’ve had 13 poems accepted by literary publications around the United States—more poems published than in all the 15 years I was trying to do it on my own.

This is what the muse ordered. This process has multiplied my submission rate and, with it, the acceptances, and has certainly taken the sting out of rejections.

Regards,

Ian Reed

December 28, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

My story “Black Mountain” was recently accepted by Obsidian III. It’s due out in January. I’m writing to tell you that I really wonder if I could have gotten the piece published without you. Each cycle Writer’s Relief saves me probably a full week, at this stage—and perhaps more time—trying to dope out which 30 reviews would feel warm toward one particular story of mine.

You said, “Stay with us for a year.” I decided to do that, and “Black Mountain” was accepted in the (for me) third cycle. Your idea works.

Sincerely,

Jesse Reid Lawson

December 14, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

I heartily endorse and recommend Writer’s Relief. They offer a truly unique service that frees writers to do what they do best—write—and not have to spend time on what most writers do poorly—research markets, organize, collate, create merged documents, etc. The staff is a talented group who really cares about their clients and works hard on their behalf. Without Writer’s Relief, I never would have succeeded in the daunting task of finding an agent for my book.

Sincerely,

Burton J. Kushner

December 13, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

It is a pleasure to supply a few good words about Writer’s Relief. The reason is simple: I couldn’t have done it without you!

I am a first-time novelist with a busy career in law. Before contacting Writer’s Relief, I was not effectively covering the potential market. I did peruse Writer’s Market and target some submissions, but I don’t think that the submissions were tight enough, and they certainly weren’t plentiful enough. It seemed to me that they were going to the right places, but the results suggest otherwise.

Meg at Writer’s Relief edited my query packet and helped me sharpen my cover letter. Then, with your help, I made 89 queries this year. That covered a lot of territory, including some of the right territory, as is shown by the fact that three agents asked to see the entire manuscript. And, as you know, one of them said the magic words: “We love your book.”

I don’t want anyone reading this to think that Writer’s Relief is a substitute for a lot of hard work—it is not. But if you are serious about beating the odds in this crazy market, then Writer’s Relief makes a lot of sense.

Now for the next hurdle: finding a publisher. Wish me luck!

Thanks again,

Michael Schein

November 28, 2004

Dear People at Writer’s Relief,

If you can cheerfully say to yourself, “I’m happy just writing,” then Writer’s Relief is not for you. If you can rest content with the fact that your manuscripts will remain known only to the circle of friends you bribed with a dinner and then forced into your living room to listen to your story (poems, etc.), then Writer’s Relief is not for you. If you can also cheerfully say to yourself, “I guess I don’t mind getting a rejection one year after I sent my story to one magazine,” then Writer’s Relief is not for you.

But if you’re not Emily Dickinson, if you’re frustrated that your brilliant manuscripts remain locked in a chest in your bedroom, Writer’s Relief is for you. If the 2,000 possible magazines listed in the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market multiply as your eyes pass over them, then Writer’s Relief is for you. If the thought of opening the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market sends you right back to bed, then Writer’s Relief is for you.

After writing and learning and honing my craft for a number of years, I went through several phases described above. In the mail, I’d get one rejection a year. This went on for a few years, and I worried that my stories weren’t that great. Could it be that the friends I had bribed were actually lying when they told me they loved my stories? Impossible! So I sent WR a letter, and one year later, I had four stories—count them, four—stories accepted. It literally changed my life.

How did it change my life? Up until this past year, I had worked my writing around various jobs, making a very wimpy attempt at giving my writing any priority. I taught freshman composition at a local college, which was encouraging writer’s block more than anything else. After I had one story accepted, I decided it was time to give that up. Not only did it change my own attitude about myself, it changed everybody else’s. People look downright impressed when I tell them I have two stories published and two on the way. I have been asked to do a reading at the local college. But the most important gift from having Writer’s Relief help me find a way to getting stories published is that I now have hope each day when I face a blank screen. I have the giddy joy of knowing that even though I made a few tiny steps and missteps toward a story that particular day, I can send it to Writer’s Relief when it’s done, and eventually someone will read it besides my friends.

Now for the next hurdle: finding a publisher. Wish me luck!

Thanks so much!

Jeanne Kocher

November 15, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

I honestly believe that without Writer’s Relief, I would not have been able to locate an agent to represent my novel(s) as quickly as I did or perhaps at all. The fact that I could contact 29 people at once, and within two such queries found a reputable and enthusiastic agent, has reassured me that all the time I have spent writing was well worth it. As you know, I have won two Bright Hill Press Fiction Awards for chapbooks, which were really excerpts from my novels; I have been a finalist in two major university fiction contests; and I have had two other excerpts anthologized. I love to write, and it is what I do well. The business end—studying markets, isolating potential agents, writing the cover letters—has been harder for me to do because when I have time, I write. Thank you for supporting my work by doing the business end for me at a reasonable rate. Thank you for getting my work out to people who take it seriously. In my personal life, I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and a remarkable daughter. Now, I have been blessed again with an agent who loves my book. I believe that Writer’s Relief was instrumental in this accomplishment.

Sincerely,

Lisa Harris

November 11, 2004

Hi Ronnie,

Like a lot of writers, I’ve spent years in therapy—feelings of helplessness, lingering nihilisms, general writerly maladjustments—the usual. But thanks to Writer’s Relief, I’ve cut my therapy bills by 95%. Just knowing that there’s a crack team of experts working overtime on my behalf to place as many of my poems at as many journals as possible lets me write about human frailty and stop living it. Well, almost stop. There is that 5% that even they can’t handle . . .

Sincerely,

Ford T

November 5, 2004

Hi Ronnie,

Writer’s Relief is a gift that I gave myself. As a stay-at-home mom with two small children, I find it difficult to find time to write—let alone submit my stories consistently. After several years of submitting sporadically, I made a deal with myself: with the help of Writer’s Relief, I could take writing seriously for one year. If in that year I could be productive and get a short story published, I could continue to give writing a try.

I was thrilled this summer to get my first short story accepted for publication. I know that even without Writer’s Relief I would continue to write, but using the submission service has helped me become a better writer. Consistent deadlines force me to finish stories that might otherwise languish, half completed. Now, with my first year behind me, I feel that Writer’s Relief is not only a gift, but the means through which I can continue to pursue my writing goals.

Sincerely,

Kim Venkataraman

November 4, 2004

Dear Writer’s Relief,

I want to thank all of you for the amazing work you do on my behalf. This includes checking for spelling, punctuation, typos, consistency of format—I used to think I could proofread my own work. Thank you for researching markets and tracking reading periods and changing editors. Thank you for proofs, printouts, labels, and a system even I can keep up with. Thank you for “nagging.” (Yes, there are people out there who are paid ONLY to nag writers about deadlines.) Thank you for keeping my files up-to-date and accessible. Thank you for your flexibility: asking who I want to target and even keeping track of submissions I make on my own—if I give you that information. Thank you for the encouragement, and thank you especially for the results!

You keep me out there, rolling, and acceptance letters DO come. Yes, there are many, many rejections, but now I see them more as a sign that I am alive and writing rather than hopeless. My acceptance rate has increased immensely and includes magazines I had given up on. YOU do not give up, and this is a blessing with tangible rewards.

Thank you, thank you each and every one!

Sincerely,

Celia Stuart-Powles

November 4, 2004

Dear Prospective Client,

I heartily recommend Writer’s Relief to any writer who has not yet made the large step from creating a body of work to seeing it published on a regular basis. The greatest gift Writer’s Relief gave to my piles of poems and fiction was momentum—no small thing. In the time I worked with them, I had four publications accept my poetry in a six-month period. While there are some writers who, I’m sure, spend hours each week researching literary periodicals and then mailing out copies of their work to the 25 editors they guess might be interested, and who do this all on their own time and of their own volition, I’m not one of them. Most of us have to make a living and have a multitude of other demands on our time. Writer’s Relief provides a very specific structure that forces your work out into the world. All you have to do is prepare a large mailing for every two-month cycle and, of course, keep creating new work. Writer’s Relief does all the rest—uses a database to target your work accordingly and maintains a record of your submissions.

Besides all of the above, the Writer’s Relief staff is great to work with. Though all our conversations took place from one coast to the other, I always felt welcome to call or e-mail with any concern, and those concerns were always met with care and professionalism. I felt the staff I worked with wanted to get it “right” for me, with each submission, and that attitude is worth a great deal. I urge you to take the plunge and work with these folks. They’ll do well by you.

Sincerely,

Brenda Howald

October 26, 2004

To Whom It May Concern:

Writer’s Relief has inspired me to polish half-baked poems and to keep my work out there circulating. They have helped keep me on track, organized, and focused in the submission of my work. In the few months I have been using their services, my poetry market has expanded to include journals like Nimrod International, The South Carolina Review, Carquinez Review, and Westview. Writer’s Relief has been a huge help to me in my writing process.

Sincerely,

Julia Wendell

October 25, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

I just wanted to thank you again for providing such a great service. If I didn’t have the regularity of the Writer’s Relief cycles, I would not have sent out several of the stories which have now been accepted for publication. Even the stories which have not yet found a home have at least generated some encouraging responses from editors. Such personal feedback more than balances out the inevitable rejections and serves as a reminder that magazines are inundated with good material that simply doesn’t fit those ubiquitous “current needs.” Since a certain degree of serendipity is involved in placing a story, your service greatly improves the chance of having material in the right place at the right time. It also reminds me to keep work circulating and keeps me connected to (yet buffered from) the publishing world—that vast, intimidating chaos that lurks in the distance beyond the familiar domain of desk and office.

As uncomfortable as I am with the marketing side of writing, being able to rely on Writer’s Relief has greatly simplified that aspect of my life and helped me to be more detached about the whole process. Since using your service, I have had acceptances from Mangrove, The MacGuffin Reader, The Lullwater Review, and Post Road Magazine. One of these days, I’m confident that I will also be thanking you for putting me on the road toward getting my novel published. Several agents have expressed interest in the manuscript if I’ll divide it into a trilogy. It’s just a matter of time. You and your staff help make more of that precious time available for the writer, which is, truly, a relief.

Thanks for providing a workable structure, a great staff, and invaluable support.

Regards to all,

Kathi Huber

October 20, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

Since I began sending you poems this past spring, the possibility that I might have some of them accepted has become real. You and your assistants have taken all the worry, hassle, and overwork of sending out my poems off my shoulders and have offered me, instead, a process that is clear, easy to manage, and produces results. You’ve helped me present my work in the best possible light and provided me with timely reminders of deadlines. I couldn’t be happier with your service.

Best wishes,

Mary P. Chatfield

September 8, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

I have been delighted with the results of working with Writer’s Relief. Although I have a number of nonfiction books to my credit—including a couple for the general reader, like “Treasures Of Canada” and “The Promise Of The West,” working in fiction was new to me. I had done a small amount of work trying to find representation, but nothing like the planned program I followed with you. And I had done nothing about trying to find homes for my short stories.

To find an agent for my novel in the first cycle of submissions was enormously fortunate. I not only thank you for your help in achieving that, but also for the unfailing friendly interaction I found with the people at Writer’s Relief. I would never have devoted as much time and doggedness to this as you do for me. I hope soon to be able to tell you that the novel has found a publisher.

Thanks for everything, and best regards,

Alan Samuel

August 26, 2004

Dear Ronnie,

Before I started using Writer’s Relief, I published one poem in six years. I am thrilled to report that after less than a year using your service, five of my poems and one of my short stories have been accepted for publication.

It’s hard to feel like a “real” writer without getting published (or at least trying to), but I work full time, so it’s often impossible to both write and find the time to target my submissions to the right publications. Writer’s Relief does just that and does it well. I recommend you wholeheartedly!

Sincerely,

Lori Kagan

July 12, 2004

Ronnie:

I can’t believe that it has been a year since I summoned up the nerve to send you a packet inquiring if you would accept me as a client. Together we have not only managed to publish all four of the stories I initially sent to you (New Delta Review, North Dakota Quarterly, Phoebe, and The Portland Review), but almost as a bonus, we have also placed a number of poems (Carquinez Poetry Review, Fugue, The Distillery, The Ledge, West Wind Review, and Berkeley Poetry Review). Absolutely none of this would have been possible without your support, your guidance, and at times, your pep talks. I no longer think of myself as someone who just wants to write, but someone who really is a writer, and you have helped make this transformation possible!

I started out this entire writing and submission process without any connections whatsoever. Now, every couple of weeks, I receive a letter or an e-mail from an editor whom I have never met, but who has been moved by what I have written (even if they ultimately reject my submission). This is an aspect of the writing process I would have known nothing about had you not encouraged me to continue to write to editors and try to form professional relationships. I feel so lucky to have had you standing by me during this incredibly productive year. I can see my goals expanding and feel thankful that you will be there to show me how to break my ambitions down into a series of manageable steps.

Your service also provides so much more that is invaluable: proofreading, the online service (which is an absolute dream to work with), your dedication to problem solving; I could go on.

I look forward to another productive year. Thank you so much again.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett

June 22, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I was delighted to recently have my work accepted for publication in both Home Planet News and Palo Alto Review. I’d like to express my gratitude to the staff at Writer’s Relief for the support and encouragement I have received over the past nine months. Everyone at Writer’s Relief has been unfailingly positive and responsive—a breath of fresh air, really, in the face of what can often seem an unrelenting stream of rejection.

I particularly want to compliment you on the clarity and consistency of the Writer’s Relief structure. I know exactly what to expect from you . . . and what you expect from me. You have created a system that fosters the discipline so essential to writing and to getting published. Yet it happens in a wonderfully personal, almost familial atmosphere.

My congratulations and my thanks.

Don Riesett

June 17, 2004

Ronnie:

I have found your service to be very professional and organized. I have also gotten one acceptance so far in a literary magazine, Iron Horse Literary Review, as well as two agents interested in seeing my entire novel manuscript.

It is wonderful to be able to send my stories to you and to know that they will get sent out! Thank you so much for your service.

Jvotsna Sreenivasan

May 19, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Just a short note to let you know how delighted I am that a friend told me about Writer’s Relief. I am not good at the “nuts and bolts” part of writing—in fact, I really hate it! Trying to decide where to send my work and then keeping up with the various submissions is a job that I do not miss. Your staff has done such a great job that I now have two short stories accepted for publication in The Distillery and Passages North in the spring of 2005. I can only say that I wish I had known about Writer’s Relief sooner.

Kind Regards,

Linda Frysh

May 3, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Your service has placed my short stories in Westview, Georgia State University Review, and Thin Air. My poems have been placed in Eclipse, Carquinez Poetry Review, Cumberland Poetry Review, and Minnesota Review.

I appreciate your professional services and plan to continue implementing them in my writing career.

Best Wishes,

Constance Studer

April 30, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Before I came to Writer’s Relief about a year ago, I had been writing short stories for a couple of decades. Ten of these stories were published. That’s an average of one every other year. In the past year, since I’ve been with Writer’s Relief, four stories of mine have been accepted for publication in Compass Rose, Weber Studies, North Dakota Review, and River City, all high quality university-sponsored literary magazines. The results speak for themselves.

I should add that in addition to getting my stories out, Writer’s Relief has been extremely helpful in setting my goals. Every two months, I am reminded that I should send my next story in to Writer’s Relief for the next cycle. I treat these cycles as deadlines, and so far I’ve been able to meet them. And finally the staff at Writer’s Relief has been perfect. They are on time. They help me produce an error-free manuscript. And they seem genuinely pleased when a literary magazine accepts my story for publication. My triumph is their own.

Best Wishes,

Jeff Richards

April 30, 2004

Dear Ronnie, everyone:

The time has come again for me to wax eloquent (or a reasonable facsimile) about Writer’s Relief. I recently mapped out the next 11 months of my writing to include time allotted to start a new novel and time for new submissions plus a follow-up submission to my two rounds of queries. It quickly occurred to me in reviewing this process that I could never conceive of plotting out an ambitious year’s worth of writing tasks based on a realistic schedule without the discipline and cyclical writing experience that WR has given me.

Some writers balk at the idea of paying to get their work edited and marketed, but their skepticism makes me recall the thinking that led me to WR in the first place. I wrote a novel first draft in 1999-2000, toyed around with a couple other novel ideas, and then tried my hand at short stories with the goal of selling a couple. A short amount of time spent researching magazines and quickly becoming bewildered told me I had to take realistic stock of my time and financial resources and decide the best course of action for my writing. Implicit in this reckoning was the knowledge that if I lacked a plan or floundered along in my writing, I would become disillusioned, demoralized, and eventually stop writing.

Choosing WR was the single best, most intelligent decision I have made on behalf of my love for writing. The copyreading quality and marketing have been worth every dollar I have spent. My two recent acceptances have proven the wisdom of your guidance. You guys suggested I break out a story from my novel, and it ended up accepted for publication. You interested me in writing short shorts, and, sure enough, my most recent submission in this venue has been accepted by Lullwater.

Making the decision to submit short stories and experience rejection and acceptance in this market girded me to accept the tougher rejections that come from agents in response to my novel queries. Thanks to WR, I’ve got some callouses on my ego, and I have a broader perspective of the acceptance/rejection process than I would have if I tried to write, edit, and market on my own.

Three years as your client has taught me that WR’s preparation and submission work are only the short-term tasks you perform for me. The longer-term service has involved instilling the writing discipline and organization skills I would not have learned without working within your submission cycle schedule. Thanks again to all of you for all you do for my writing.

Sincerely,

Thor Jourgensen

April 29, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Writer’s Relief has helped my writing career in two critical areas. Most importantly, the time they take to research the appropriate publications (combined with their expertise in a “who’s who” of literary magazines) is invaluable. Their work has saved me more hours than I can imagine. For this alone, their fee would be money well spent. No less important, however, is their dogged persistence (especially when I, the writer, am being pummeled with rejections) to continue to submit, regardless of rejections. This has been a personal barrier which I have not been able to break on my own. In the past, I would get a great energy to submit work and when the few rejections came in I would cease and desist, sometimes for years.

Writer’s Relief shows you the numbers. They have the stats. PERSISTENT submissions is the key to getting published. For this I commend them, and am grateful for their time, attention, and support.

Sincerely,

Joan Gelfand

April 28, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I would like to thank you and your staff at the Writer’s Relief for the support and encouragement I received. I have had a short story accepted, and my novel is being considered by two agents at this time.

Sincerely,

Ali Hosseini

April 28, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I want to thank you for all the wonderful work you and your dedicated staff have performed on my behalf in the last year. Because of your help, my short stories will be appearing in four literary journals by spring’s end. I am awed by this! I am finally getting to that place in my literary career I was destined to be, but could not get to before, chiefly because I did not have the time or energy to research and follow-up on possible venues for my work, submission procedures, and deadlines. Due to your firm’s professionalism (and doggedness!), however, I can relax about these things and write.

Stephen Koch, in the wonderful The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop, talks of how writing does not come from inspiration, it’s the other way around: inspiration comes from the actual writing. And what you have enabled me to do is get down to that, back to that, day after day, just doing the work. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Andrew Riconda

April 27, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I can’t say enough wonderful things about the service Writer’s Relief has provided for me. When I originally thought about publishing my poetry, I was completely overwhelmed by the idea. Then I discovered Writer’s Relief. In the past year and a half, I have had nearly twenty poems published, and you have all been incredibly professional, supportive, and very simply made it possible. Every question and concern I had was handled promptly, personally, and kindly. You took care of everything down to the smallest detail.

Your success for me has been delightful, but most importantly you have focused on helping me develop creatively as well. I have already recommended you to many of my friends and am delighted now to do it on paper as well.

Sincerely,

Stephen Gyllenhaal

April 27, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Writer’s Relief has been invaluable to me in ensuring that I always have work in circulation. I know I’ve had many more pieces published with their help than I could have done on my own. I rely on them to keep the business side of my writing life consistently active and organized. Thank you, Writer’s Relief.

Sincerely,

Susan Lewis

April 27, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Writer’s Relief is an understatement. As a writer of nearly 40 years, I can honestly say WR has been my salvation. Not only has the organization helped me publish two stories in less than a year (Portland Review, Oregon East), but our relationship has made me more productive than I’ve ever been. Also, as a former copy editor, I am extremely grateful for the thorough, professional work they offer at every level. Here’s to more successes for all!

Sincerely,

Jane Summer

April 26, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Thanks for the help getting my first fiction acceptance. I wasted a lot of time trying to send out my work myself, but your service changed everything.

Sincerely,

Brian Kirkpatrick

April 26, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I would like to congratulate whomever at Writer’s Relief came up with the “genius” idea to start this company. It fills a real niche. The service provided by Writer’s Relief inspires me to keep writing. They create deadlines for me to complete my work, and the deadlines are realistic. Writer’s Relief does not make any false promises. They do exactly what they say they will do in a professional manner.

I recommend Writer’s Relief to any of my friends who are serious about writing.

Sincerely,

Laura P. Valtorta

January 20, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I deeply appreciate your efforts at a task I have simply been unable to do myself to this extent and with this level of organization and efficiency. You certainly do address a need. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Gerry McFarland

January 20, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I recommend Writer’s Relief unconditionally.

Sincerely,

Rosary O’Neill

January 16, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I had tried for a couple of years to get my act together to submit my poetry. Bought The Poet’s Market, made lists, tried to figure out where and when. It took an enormous amount of time, and all I ended up with was frustration. When it came down to writing a poem or spending my valuable time researching, I opted to write.

I finally decided to call Writer’s Relief from an ad in Poets & Writers. The staff is very professional, and procrastination is not an option! I’ve tried to catch them on a few grammar issues, and each time they have sent me photocopies of literature or definitions to substantiate their decisions. (They take it very seriously.) Best of all, out of my first group of 6 poems, 5 were accepted by journals such as Nimrod, Gargoyle, Baltimore Review, and others. Need I say more?

Best,

Diane DeCillis

January 16, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

I’ve learned the hard way that there’s nothing easy about getting published. Writing a good, solid story is only the beginning. Writer’s Relief offers a calm, systematic, and rigorous method for getting my stories marketed and now, accepted for publication. I’m grateful for the services.

At times the process is very frustrating. In addition to the wholesale and usually impersonal rejection, there is the considerable tease of “almost, but not quite good enough” and “try again” comments scrawled at the bottom of a rejection slip.

Throughout, WR urges patience and persistence. The system works, and you will win if you follow the rules and hammer away. The rejections make acceptance, when it comes, most sweet. And once you succeed, you cannot but be encouraged to compete again in the marketplace of creativity and build on your success. I hope it’s contagious.

Thanks for your many services and personal attentions.

Sincerely,

Andrew Schultz

January 15, 2004

Dear Ronnie and Staff:

I was delighted that I had an acceptance on the very first round of submissions that you prepared for me. I have found everyone to be most friendly and helpful, and I’ve recommended this service to my friends.

Sincerely,

Anne Louise Lovett

January 14, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

When I first laid eyes on an ad for Writer’s Relief, I was skeptical. Who could be more passionate about submitting my work than I? Who could be as thorough in preparing my manuscripts or as precise in proofing? Well, Writer’s Relief is all that and more. Their ability to match my work with the proper audience, then research and locate thirty potential publications to submit that work to, is unsurpassed. Also invaluable is their extensive library of publications and the knowledge they bring to each individual project. The staff at Writer’s Relief is professional, punctual, and experienced. They treat my work, and me as a writer, as if I’m their only client.

Thanks to you, I’m published this month in Lullwater Review.

Sincerely,

Lisa Larsen

January 9, 2004

Dear Ronnie:

Without your help and guidance, I would not have the publication success that I’m experiencing right now. Four poems accepted in the past eight months is phenomenal. Writer’s Relief has played a critical role in helping me build my poetry résumé.

I have and will continue to recommend Writer’s Relief to other creative writers. Now that I am beginning to teach writing, I will recommend WR to my most promising students. It’s a great way for writers to negotiate the daunting task of selecting reviews from the thousands published and then managing and tracking all the submissions.

My writing credentials:

MFA Creative Writing, Queens University: 20 years writing poetry.

MS Journalism: 25 years as a journalist, culminating in Editor-in-Chief roles at several media, including WebMD.

Thank you so much for what you have done for me in just the 4 months that I’ve been one of your clients. You and your staff excel in what are for me the 4 most important areas to my publishing.

First, for each of 2 publishing cycles for which I’ve been a part, I’ve sent you one story, each of which has been proofed twice, and I have been amazed at the typos your staff found (I am an English Professor). You have helped me to send out clean copy, which as a reader for various academic journals myself, I know is very important.

Second, you have obviously chosen the journals very carefully for each of my 2 stories to be sent to because within 2-3 weeks of sending each of them out, they have been accepted for publication (and one was accepted by 2 different journals). Two other editors of journals who could not accept my work wrote personal notes asking me to send my future work to them.

Third, everything you say in your ad is true. I now have time to write because you are finding the correct journals for my work. I don’t worry about searching for contests or trying to keep up with new journals or editors or buying the latest copies of expensive guides with such information. I leave all of this to you and just write, which is wonderfully liberating.

Finally, because you ask for work every two months, you keep me to a schedule that I would not have kept for myself. During December, when life is so busy for all people, but especially teachers working on final student work, I still found time to write another story for you. I have never written work of my own during this time in 20 years I have been a professor.

So thank you both for helping to do all the behind the scenes work necessary for me to have the time and motivation to write consistently. Happy New Year.